Nick Lowe

Nick Lowe probably has the greatest ear for melody in the modern world. But this is not just a pop melody-composing genius – this is also a very clever man with a sense of humour. Example? When David Bowie released an album called Low, Nick responded with an album called Bowi.

Born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, on 24 April 1949, Lowe formed his first group, Sound 4 Plus 1, with Brinsley Schwarz in 1963, while both were at school in Woodbridge.

Soon after, Lowe left school intending to travel, and Schwarz returned to Tunbridge Wells to form a band called Three’s Company, which became Kippington Lodge after signing a record deal with EMI.

After Kippington Lodge’s first single, Shy Boy, Lowe joined the group. They made four more singles, none of which were successful – the band being compelled to tour as Billie Davis‘ backing group just to subsist.

In a last-ditch attempt to avoid extinction, Kippington Lodge changed their name to Brinsley Schwarz in September 1969 and released over 60 tracks – 40 of which were written by Lowe, the lead vocalist and bass player.

The band eventually called it a day with a final gig at London’s Marquee Club on 18 March 1975.

While recovering the impetus to re-enter the arena of live rock & roll, Lowe amused himself by writing songs, playing sessions, producing Graham Parker and the Rumour albums and releasing whimsical pop singles as The Tartan Horde and The Disco Brothers, writing such gems as Bay City Rollers We Love You (a big hit in Japan), Let’s Go to the Disco and, finally, Love My Label – before being dropped because his label didn’t exactly love him.

Known as “Basher”, Lowe became a house producer and recording artist at Stiff Records in August 1976, recording two singles, one EP, and miscellaneous album tracks for artists such as Wreckless Eric, The Damned – including their seminal 1977 debut album Damned, Damned, Damned – Dr Feelgood and Magic Michael.

Lowe also played at the first Mont de Marsan Annual Punk Festival in October 1976 in a makeshift band called The Girls.

Lowe nurtured the early career of Elvis Costello (producing his first five albums) and played and recorded with Rockpile– a band publicly unveiled in December 1976 as a temporary unit (featuring Dave Edmunds, Terry Williams and Billy Bremner).

He also participated in the Live Stiffs tour in October and November 1977 as part of an ad hoc band called Last Chicken In The Shop.

In December 1977, Lowe left Stiff for Radar and made the Top 10 single I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass, then recorded his debut solo album, Jesus of Cool, which yielded the giant hit Cruel to Be Kind.

To protect American sensibilities, the album was renamed Pure Pop for Now People when it was released in the USA.

Lowe spent 1978 touring the world with Rockpile, producing Elvis Costello, recording with Dave Edmunds, producing Mickey Jupp and Chrissie Hynde and writing and recording tracks of his own.

Labour Of Lust, his second album, was released in July 1979, and its single, Cracking Up, was a chart hit in England and Australia.

Nick Lowe has been a major architect of perfect pop since the mid-70s and has an unmatched understanding of the pure principles of quality pop music, as shown across his fifteen studio albums to date.

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